United against terrorism

Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia yesterday following calls made by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to confront Iran’s “criminal” actions after back-to-back emergency summits in the holy city of Makkah. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called on Gulf and Arab leaders to confront Iran’s “criminal acts” after the sabotage attacks damaged four vessels, two of them Saudi oil tankers, in the Sea of Oman and twin Yemeni rebel drone attacks shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline. “The absence of a firm and dissuasive response to Iran’s acts of sabotage in the region has encouraged it to continue and strengthen them in the way we see today,” the Saudi king said.

“Its recent criminal acts... require that all of us work seriously to preserve the security and achievements of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council),” the king added, referring to the attacks on Gulf oil installations. The king also called on the international community to use “all means” necessary to contain Iran. A joint statement issued by Arab leaders condemned “acts by the terrorist Huthi militias supported by Iran who (sent) aircraft that crossed into Saudi Arabia to two oil pumping stations and acts of sabotage that affected commercial ships in territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates”.

They said Iran’s behavior “poses a direct and serious threat” and called on “the international community to take a firm stand to confront Iran and its destabilizing acts in the region”.